The Civic 50®
CSR Benchmarking & Recognition
CSR Benchmarking & Recognition
A ROADMAP FOR GOOD CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP
Participation in The Civic 50®, survey serves as more than recognition — it provides valuable benchmarking insights, a proven self-assessment tool and a platform to showcase leadership in corporate citizenship among peers and stakeholders globally.
What’s New
- Streamlined Survey Experience: New, simplified questions focus on actionable employee volunteering, giving and community engagement insights, giving your team time back to focus on what matters — creating impact.
- Expanded Recognition Opportunities: More than ten new company and CSR leader awards have been added to highlight the growing innovation, leadership and impact driving our sector forward.
- More Actionable Insights: Enhanced benchmarking scorecard reports provide deeper insights to help your CSR team prove impact and drive improvement across the organization.
- Points of Light Conference Offer: Companies that complete an application will access discounted registration to attend the 2026 Points of Light Conference, held June 22–25, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Limited to two per company.
Register for our info session on December 4 at 1 p.m. ET to learn about new awards, streamlined survey questions, participant perks and enhanced benchmarking scorecard reports. The survey will open on January 13, 2026.
INFO SESSION & NEW 2026 QUESTIONS & AWARDS
Sign up for the info session on December 4 at 1 pm ET to learn about the new survey enhancements and awards, and receive early access to the new 2026 questions.
SURVEY OVERVIEW & INSTRUCTIONS
Survey Timeline
- December 4: 1 p.m. Info Session on new survey changes (the webinar will be recorded and available here)
- January 13: Survey opens
- March 19: Survey deadline
- April: Company status and award notification
- June 23: Public honoree announcement during the 2026 Points of Light Conference in Washington, D.C.
- Summer 2026: Honoree Insights & Benchmarking report released
Eligibility
Public and private companies with U.S. operations and revenues of $1 billion or more are eligible to participate in the survey. Points of Light reserves the right to not include companies on The Civic 50® list which are not considered to be in good standing during the reporting year. Basis for not being “in good standing” includes, but is not limited to: the company experiencing official, significant legal sanction; an adverse company event so significant that it deems The Civic 50® practices presented in its application as a misrepresentation of the company’s overall community involvement efforts; or any development that puts into question the company’s community involvement to the degree that most people would not find it reasonable to find the company on a list of the most community-minded companies in the nation.
The survey instrument consists of quantitative and multiple-choice questions that inform The Civic 50® scoring process. The questions in the Sector Insights and all award nominations are not factored into the scoring process. All other questions are scored unless otherwise noted. Any monetary or numerical data requested by this survey to assess the magnitude of corporate investment, involvement or impact will be normalized by company revenues or number of employees to control for size. Additionally, rating formulas are designed to minimize any inherent advantages or disadvantages across industries.
Honoree Designation: The Civic 50® recognizes the top 50 companies with the highest overall scores as honorees. These companies are listed in alphabetical order, and individual rankings are not disclosed publicly.
Sector Leaders: Points of Light also honors the highest-scoring company in each sector as defined by the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS), highlighting leadership within specific industries.
Benchmarking Awards: Additional recognition is given to companies that demonstrate exceptional performance in key volunteering benchmarks. These awards spotlight excellence in specific categories of corporate volunteerism.
New! Volunteering with Purpose Company Awards
Award nominations are optional and do not affect a company’s score. Companies can still receive a Volunteering with Purpose Award even if they are not recognized as an honoree based on their overall score. Nominations should be less than 500 words and clearly explain what was done, why it worked and how it created impact across your business, employees and community. Nominations will be evaluated based on the following criteria: solution focus, practical insights, employee impact, community impact and business impact.
- Volunteer Ambassador & Champion Program: Honors programs that cultivate and support employee leaders who inspire, organize and advocate for volunteerism within their teams and across the company.
- Companywide Volunteering Activation: Recognizes a companywide volunteer activation that meaningfully engages employees across locations, functions and levels to drive community impact.
- Global Volunteering Program: Recognizes a volunteer program that meaningfully engages employees in other countries and showcases cultural adaptability while advancing the company’s social impact goals.
- Employee Volunteer Recognition Program: Highlights programs that meaningfully celebrate and honor employees’ volunteer contributions and inspire others to become more engaged.
- Corporate-Nonprofit Partnership: Recognizes a strategic, trust-based collaboration between a company and nonprofit partner that drives measurable impact and supports community-driven solutions.
- Impact Measurement & Evaluation: Recognizes excellence in tracking, analyzing and communicating the social and business outcomes and value of volunteering and community engagement efforts.
- Innovative Social Impact Program: Celebrates bold, creative or experimental approaches to corporate social impact that challenge the status quo and deliver impactful results.
New! Volunteering with Purpose Individual Awards
Award nominations are optional and do not affect a company’s score. Companies can still receive a Volunteering with Purpose Award even if they are not recognized as an honoree based on their overall score. Nominations should be less than 500 words and showcase how individuals are making a meaningful impact on their company’s social impact and community engagement programs. Nominations will be evaluated based on the following criteria: impact amplification, sustained commitment, inspiration or advocacy and connections or collaboration.
- C-Suite or Executive Sponsor: Honors a senior leader who champions volunteering and social impact as strategic business priorities, mobilizing organizational resources and influence to drive meaningful change.
- CSR Leader: Recognizes a corporate social responsibility leader whose vision, strategy, and leadership have significantly advanced their company’s volunteer and community engagement efforts.
- Volunteer Ambassador or Champion: Honors an employee volunteer leader who inspires peers, strengthens participation and builds a culture of service through their passion, leadership and commitment to community.
All eligible companies that complete a survey application receive a complimentary benchmarking scorecard report from True Impact that details their performance across each of the survey sections. For deeper insights, applicants may purchase an advanced scorecard report that provides detailed question-level insights, rankings and peer benchmarking. These reports are designed to support internal evaluation, strategic planning and continuous improvement of community engagement programs.
Q: Will the presentation be made available from the information session?
A: Yes. The presentation and recording will be made available and posted on this page.
Q: What organizations are eligible to participate in The Civic 50®?
A: Public and private companies with U.S. operations and revenues of $1 billion or more are eligible to participate.
Q: What information and data will be made public?
A: Points of Light does not publicly disclose any company-specific data. The Insights Report features only aggregate benchmarking data from the 50 honorees. The list of honorees, presented alphabetically, and award recipients are the only public-facing elements. Any written content used in the Insights Report will be shared with companies for review and approval prior to publication. Companies that participate but do not qualify as honorees or sector leaders remain confidential.
Q: Are only honorees eligible for the Volunteering with Purpose company and individual awards?
A: No. All eligible companies that complete a survey application can be considered for the Volunteering with Purpose Awards.
Q: Is there a cost to take The Civic 50® survey?
A: There is no cost to take the survey and all applicants receive a complimentary benchmarking scorecard report. Companies also have the option of purchasing more detailed benchmarking and analysis reports from True Impact after the completion of the survey.
Q: How much time will it take to complete the survey?
A: We estimate it will take 5–10 staff hours to complete data collection and response for The Civic 50® survey, not including your internal approval process. For convenience, we recommend applicants use the provided survey workbook to collect their data offline before submitting through the online survey.
Q: How do the rankings control for differences in industry or corporate structure?
A: Any monetary or numerical data requested by this survey to assess the magnitude of corporate investment, involvement or impact will be normalized by company revenues or number of employees to control for size. Additionally, rating formulas are designed to minimize any inherent advantages or disadvantages across industries.
Q: Can both a holding company and a subsidiary company take the survey?
A: Yes. Both can apply separately, however, the holding company’s submission cannot include or reflect the subsidiary company’s data. If you have any questions regarding your company’s eligibility, please email [email protected].
Q: I’m a multinational corporation. Which activities should I document?
A: The Civic 50® is a U.S. award based on the company’s community engagement program in the United States.
Contact & Support
For questions regarding The Civic 50 program, survey questions and support resources, email: [email protected].
Timeline & Eligibility
Survey Timeline
- December 4: 1 p.m. Info Session on new survey changes (the webinar will be recorded and available here)
- January 13: Survey opens
- March 19: Survey deadline
- April: Company status and award notification
- June 23: Public honoree announcement during the 2026 Points of Light Conference in Washington, D.C.
- Summer 2026: Honoree Insights & Benchmarking report released
Eligibility
Public and private companies with U.S. operations and revenues of $1 billion or more are eligible to participate in the survey. Points of Light reserves the right to not include companies on The Civic 50® list which are not considered to be in good standing during the reporting year. Basis for not being “in good standing” includes, but is not limited to: the company experiencing official, significant legal sanction; an adverse company event so significant that it deems The Civic 50® practices presented in its application as a misrepresentation of the company’s overall community involvement efforts; or any development that puts into question the company’s community involvement to the degree that most people would not find it reasonable to find the company on a list of the most community-minded companies in the nation.
Methodology & Process
The survey instrument consists of quantitative and multiple-choice questions that inform The Civic 50® scoring process. The questions in the Sector Insights and all award nominations are not factored into the scoring process. All other questions are scored unless otherwise noted. Any monetary or numerical data requested by this survey to assess the magnitude of corporate investment, involvement or impact will be normalized by company revenues or number of employees to control for size. Additionally, rating formulas are designed to minimize any inherent advantages or disadvantages across industries.
Recognition & New Awards
Honoree Designation: The Civic 50® recognizes the top 50 companies with the highest overall scores as honorees. These companies are listed in alphabetical order, and individual rankings are not disclosed publicly.
Sector Leaders: Points of Light also honors the highest-scoring company in each sector as defined by the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS), highlighting leadership within specific industries.
Benchmarking Awards: Additional recognition is given to companies that demonstrate exceptional performance in key volunteering benchmarks. These awards spotlight excellence in specific categories of corporate volunteerism.
New! Volunteering with Purpose Company Awards
Award nominations are optional and do not affect a company’s score. Companies can still receive a Volunteering with Purpose Award even if they are not recognized as an honoree based on their overall score. Nominations should be less than 500 words and clearly explain what was done, why it worked and how it created impact across your business, employees and community. Nominations will be evaluated based on the following criteria: solution focus, practical insights, employee impact, community impact and business impact.
- Volunteer Ambassador & Champion Program: Honors programs that cultivate and support employee leaders who inspire, organize and advocate for volunteerism within their teams and across the company.
- Companywide Volunteering Activation: Recognizes a companywide volunteer activation that meaningfully engages employees across locations, functions and levels to drive community impact.
- Global Volunteering Program: Recognizes a volunteer program that meaningfully engages employees in other countries and showcases cultural adaptability while advancing the company’s social impact goals.
- Employee Volunteer Recognition Program: Highlights programs that meaningfully celebrate and honor employees’ volunteer contributions and inspire others to become more engaged.
- Corporate-Nonprofit Partnership: Recognizes a strategic, trust-based collaboration between a company and nonprofit partner that drives measurable impact and supports community-driven solutions.
- Impact Measurement & Evaluation: Recognizes excellence in tracking, analyzing and communicating the social and business outcomes and value of volunteering and community engagement efforts.
- Innovative Social Impact Program: Celebrates bold, creative or experimental approaches to corporate social impact that challenge the status quo and deliver impactful results.
New! Volunteering with Purpose Individual Awards
Award nominations are optional and do not affect a company’s score. Companies can still receive a Volunteering with Purpose Award even if they are not recognized as an honoree based on their overall score. Nominations should be less than 500 words and showcase how individuals are making a meaningful impact on their company’s social impact and community engagement programs. Nominations will be evaluated based on the following criteria: impact amplification, sustained commitment, inspiration or advocacy and connections or collaboration.
- C-Suite or Executive Sponsor: Honors a senior leader who champions volunteering and social impact as strategic business priorities, mobilizing organizational resources and influence to drive meaningful change.
- CSR Leader: Recognizes a corporate social responsibility leader whose vision, strategy, and leadership have significantly advanced their company’s volunteer and community engagement efforts.
- Volunteer Ambassador or Champion: Honors an employee volunteer leader who inspires peers, strengthens participation and builds a culture of service through their passion, leadership and commitment to community.
Scorecard Reports
All eligible companies that complete a survey application receive a complimentary benchmarking scorecard report from True Impact that details their performance across each of the survey sections. For deeper insights, applicants may purchase an advanced scorecard report that provides detailed question-level insights, rankings and peer benchmarking. These reports are designed to support internal evaluation, strategic planning and continuous improvement of community engagement programs.
Survey FAQ
Q: Will the presentation be made available from the information session?
A: Yes. The presentation and recording will be made available and posted on this page.
Q: What organizations are eligible to participate in The Civic 50®?
A: Public and private companies with U.S. operations and revenues of $1 billion or more are eligible to participate.
Q: What information and data will be made public?
A: Points of Light does not publicly disclose any company-specific data. The Insights Report features only aggregate benchmarking data from the 50 honorees. The list of honorees, presented alphabetically, and award recipients are the only public-facing elements. Any written content used in the Insights Report will be shared with companies for review and approval prior to publication. Companies that participate but do not qualify as honorees or sector leaders remain confidential.
Q: Are only honorees eligible for the Volunteering with Purpose company and individual awards?
A: No. All eligible companies that complete a survey application can be considered for the Volunteering with Purpose Awards.
Q: Is there a cost to take The Civic 50® survey?
A: There is no cost to take the survey and all applicants receive a complimentary benchmarking scorecard report. Companies also have the option of purchasing more detailed benchmarking and analysis reports from True Impact after the completion of the survey.
Q: How much time will it take to complete the survey?
A: We estimate it will take 5–10 staff hours to complete data collection and response for The Civic 50® survey, not including your internal approval process. For convenience, we recommend applicants use the provided survey workbook to collect their data offline before submitting through the online survey.
Q: How do the rankings control for differences in industry or corporate structure?
A: Any monetary or numerical data requested by this survey to assess the magnitude of corporate investment, involvement or impact will be normalized by company revenues or number of employees to control for size. Additionally, rating formulas are designed to minimize any inherent advantages or disadvantages across industries.
Q: Can both a holding company and a subsidiary company take the survey?
A: Yes. Both can apply separately, however, the holding company’s submission cannot include or reflect the subsidiary company’s data. If you have any questions regarding your company’s eligibility, please email [email protected].
Q: I’m a multinational corporation. Which activities should I document?
A: The Civic 50® is a U.S. award based on the company’s community engagement program in the United States.
Contact & Support
Contact & Support
For questions regarding The Civic 50 program, survey questions and support resources, email: [email protected].
DOWNLOAD THE CIVIC 50 INSIGHTS & BENCHMARKING REPORT
Corporate leaders are expanding volunteering programs, deepening civic engagement efforts and setting higher standards for social impact—reflecting a more strategic, values-driven approach to community investment.
Download the 2025 report to learn more.
The 2025 Honorees of
THE CIVIC 50®
The 2025 honorees of The Civic 50 represent a wide range of industries, united by a shared commitment to building a culture of service while advancing their business goals and strengthening communities.